Nueva evidencia de conectividad de ballenas jorobadas entre la Península Antártica y la costa de Ecuador

We report three cases of humpback whales (Megaptera novaeangliae) photographed off the Antarctic Peninsula during the austral summer 2015, that were previously observed off the coast of Salinas, Santa Elena, Ecuador. Once again, we confirm the connectivity between humpback whales breeding on the coast of Ecuador with those feeding on the western side of the Antarctic Peninsula. The minimum distance between both sites is 7,200 km. The timespan in one case was 12 years and five months. Our findings demonstrate the importance of long-term studies for long-lived species such as humpback whales, and the use of every available research platform to improve our knowledge of these species and their environment. We recommend the Ecuadorian Antarctic Institute includes marine mammals as a research topic. This will help to improve our understanding of the role of these species in the Antarctic ecosystem and promote their study and conservation, in compliance with international agreements adopted by Ecuador. We also recommend that tourist companies operating in the Antarctic contribute photographs to research programs such as those run by the Whale Museum of Salinas

Bibliographic Details

Main Authors:	Félix, Fernando, Carrasco Valdivieso, Alfredo, Haase, Ben
Other Authors:	Instituto Oceanográfico de la Armada, Ministerio de Defensa Nacional
Format:	Journal Contribution biblioteca
Language:	Spanish / Castilian
Published:	2018
Subjects:	Mirounga leonina, Marine mammals, Humpback whales, Migrations, Photography,
Online Access:	http://hdl.handle.net/1834/15425
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